Splitting Hairs

I posted a blog on my other site that is probably more geared to this one, so here is a link.

Along For The Ride

As a Campus Life director, I am always looking for media clips that will help illustrate a point. You know, that scene that makes the idea I'm speaking on come to life, and allows the students to identify more practically with the subject matter. Creating this connection between a thought being conveyed and the audience is key to any speaker.

There is a plethora of scenes that portray moral, heart-felt words that demonstrate virtuous characteristics and world views. I have a library of clips in my head, categorized by topical affiliation. It struck me, despite the total lapse in morality in today's movies, I can so easily find moments of moral integrity in almost any film. It seems so paradoxical.

I have stumbled upon some very sensitive material that Hollywood doesn't want you to realize. That's why I'm going to be writing a book called "Hollywood Insights 'They Don't Want You To Know About,'" seeing as how this format is working so well for Kevin Trudeau.

Movies take you for a ride, and they don't drop you off at the destination they promise. Here's a common layout for modern day comedy. Introduce the protagonist (or antagonist who gradually becomes a protagonist), who is currently living in a state that is obviously off from what is the proper way to live. The movie will make light of the character's lifestyle, but indirectly assume that there is something fundamentally superficial; enjoyable, yet ultimately unfulfilling about this person.

We embark on a journey that saturates us in immoral lies about actual life. The character lives in a greatly exaggerated state of how some actual less-than-righteous individuals might think or live. Since a major goal of cinema is to immerse the watcher into the movie, the audience member's reality becomes the movie for it's duration. Anytime you are immersed into anything, something is bound to stick (whether good, bad, or neutral). In most cases someones guard is not completely lifted, but softened during a movie; giving way to susceptibility.

You will notice that the bulk of iniquity is found near the beginning or middle of the movie, while the end has a twist of uprightness. It's about taste. A sweet morsel covers a bitter taste, so you forget it was ever there. As the movie ends and your mind is freed up to process what you have just taken in, you remember the good, and can deem it an acceptable film. But the quotable moments, or those you will laugh at and are embedded into your mind consist of the vulgar, the unrealistic, the stuff your grandmother would not approve of.

In the end, the protagonist has gained a compromised perspective of right and wrong. It's better than where they started, and it has relics of admirable qualities; however, the final product is only good in a relative sense to where they started. There is a great lack of true virtue. But because it is more easy to identify things in a relative fashion than a static way, guided by truth, faith, and philosophy, we are more likely to applaud the "moral of the story." And realize it or not, our understanding of right and wrong has been tweaked.

The ride is from a place of perversion to a place of middle ground. We pick up all the junk along the way and are fed a spoonful of compromised morality. Bravery, friendship, acceptance, education, maturity, and dedication are good things, but they are not inherently good. They are good when the are coupled with truth and love. Movie emphasize the former and neglect the latter. Thus we look for the right things in the wrong places and expect a Hollywood ending.

Media greatly determines what we will accept as our next reality. Remain skeptic of a movie's moral finish. Discern what is truly right, wrong, good, and bad... then hold everything up to that light. Don't just go along for the ride, have an intended destination.

Role Playing

I've been intrigued for the last few years at the idea of roles. Every one of us has roles that we inherently need or at least desire to be filled in our lives, whether we realize it or not (more often than not we don't).

There's a great deal I'd like to write about on this subject int he future, much of which can appear disheartening or cruel, but it really isn't.

Anyway, I'm here to request feedback from you, the people. I'm hoping to gain some insight from your answers as to what these roles are really about, and why some alter or misuse these roles.

1. What is the role(s) platonic friends of the opposite sex offer one another (male to female, female to male)?
2. What is the role(s) platonic friends of the same sex offer one another (male to male, female to female)?
3. What is the role(s) of a sexual (or non-platonic) partner (male to female, female to male, male to male, female to female)?
   
4. What is the role(s) family members of the opposite sex offer one another?
5. What is the role(s) family members of the same sex offer one another?
6. What is the role(s) of a mother to her child(to male, to female)?
7. What is the role(s) of a father to his child(to male, to female)?

I have my own thoughts and answers to these questions, but I understand that because of anyone's individual experiences, thoroughness and objectivity are hard to come by.

If you choose to answer, please try to distance yourself from the questions and as much as possible give broad, universal answers that are for the most-part not contingent on age, race, or economic status. Also I am looking for the distinguishing roles that are acquired almost exclusively from the group related to the question, not every single role they possess.

You can either leave comments on this blog or e-mail me at steve@causenfx.org.

Thanks y'all.

Hands Full Of Shells

Do you ever just feel like weeping when you realize how far your life is from where you know it ought to be? It's like you can grasp the life that you know is best, but you can't seem to bring yourself to extend your hand.

I am in a guilty, lonely, awful place right now; and yet, my life appears to be going very well. I am volunteering, I'm doing a lot with Campus Life, I'm spending time with the kind of people Jesus would spend time with, I'm getting enough sleep, I'm getting work, etc, etc, etc. But in all of this I have such little time to spend with Jesus because I'm too busy convincing myself and everyone else that I am Jesus.

To be like Jesus means to make everyone happy, right? Wrong! However, I can't seem to convince myself of that. I can't say no. It's like deep down I either believe that every opportunity to do a "good deed" is divine providence, or I believe my worth comes from people liking me and stroking my Christian pride. I'd bet it's both, but far more the latter than the former.

I am overwhelmed with stress, and yet when I step back and look at my life... yes, I'm quite busy... but not as busy as I feel. I sincerely believe that I am destroying my spirit by being a control freak and not taking a day of rest. I haven't taken a Sabbath quite some time. I haven't poured over the Word like I should and like I used to. I believe that if I don't do something, it won't be done right. And for some reason I believe that deadlines are just that, a timeframe where if I do not accomplish a task by its required date, somebody else or myself will indeed DIE! It's common sense really, considering that I am the most important man in the world.

I've known about this problem. I've done a lot of pondering over a simple answer. I have wallowed in the waters of my discontent, barely stirring toward the obvious solution of that which my heart shreiks in indignation over.

Tonight, at the near pinnacle of guilt, stress, and unsatisfaction, I took a few minutes to watch this Nooma video I had not viewed yet. I had no idea what the subject of it was, and it spoke very directly to the issue I am facing. My hands are so full of stuff I want to do, that I'm largely ignoring the purpose God has called me to.

I'm not going to say that everything Rob Bell says is completely without flaw, but the idea is very true, even if the connotation of the wording is slightly misleading at times.

Maybe you're in a similar place I'm at, and need to lose control. Maybe you're in a healthier place and can give a word or two of advice and encouragement to those like me, prone to relying on works and not on grace and peace. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, he is the One Thing.

Shalom

Hippie Generation Y... Because We Gotta

I wish I knew more about history. I pick up the pieces, hearsay, and cliches of times past and make conclusions from them, but it's truly hard to know whether my deductions have any credibility without first learning from those who know the things that I guess.

Growing up watching The Wonder Years, That 70's Show, and Forest Gump, along with a little information from hippie friends (and I guess school taught me a bit too), I now have a "Steve Version" of the 60's and 70's in my head. So please do note that this blog post will be drawn almost entire (maybe entirely) from the distortion and havoc that resides between my ears.

If I were to pull key aspects out of the hippie movement to characterize it, I would choose: countercultural love and freedom (including drugs and sexuality), anti-war declarations, movement towards a simple life (less monetary/corporate things, environmentalism, more natural eating, and communal living styles), and political action in a wide spectrum of age groups. All of this was largely stemmed from the love/freedom category. These hippies were enlightened.

It's funny how this "enlightened" group is now almost universally acknowledged with humor or disdain. It was a strong force, and its then followers are still alive. You can find a few who hold to the ideals of this time, you find more who hold to the music; but most have forsaken what they were (quite possibly because they can't even remember those years). But you can't deny that this counter-cultural movement was swallowed whole by the commercialism of the 80's. Madonna was a Material Girl, and she wasn't the only one. Perhaps it was all the babies that came from the "free love" that jostled the hippies into the realization that they needed to actually work to provide for these kids, maybe something else. Maybe it's just man's quest for success; where when a movement doesn't succeed, its followers change sides and become the best sellouts they can. Either way hippie-ism is 99% gone... kind of.

When you look at the United States in relation to views on war, diet, environmentalism, sexuality, and political activism, things are starting to look a bit like they did back in the day (but at the same time completely different). Americans are feeling an opposition to war (at least our current war choices), sects are moving to a more natural, organic diet, there are tons of agencies and people who are concerned about the environment and CO2 emissions, sexual tolerance is being increasingly nodded at in regards to homosexuality, women's clothing is shrinking by the moment, giving anybody passing on the street an aspect of "free love" that comes in the form of a free peek, and sections of our country's young adult population are becoming very passionate about their rights, freedoms, and opinions in the political arena.

The reason this is only "kind of" hippie-esque is that they don't share the same root. In the 60's a desire for love, freedom, and self-enlightenment of what matters (among other things) motivated followers to attempt to recreate their world. It was out of want for freedom and a conviction to the morals they believed in, and I think it was largely optimistic. Today our actions are based primarily on one thing. Fear. We oppose the war because we are afraid of our country's financial state, we can't afford to be in this war that is not ending. We eat organic because we are afraid of the disease that has begun to exterminate all of our loved ones. We take strides toward clean energy and lowering emissions because we fear human annihilation if we don't reverse the global warming trend. Homosexuals are getting married because we're afraid denying them their lusts will mean we have to eliminate ours; after all we wouldn't want to be hypocrites. Politics are taking over our lives because we're afraid of the influence the government has over our personal liberties or our ability to financially survive and the media is shoving this fear down our throats constantly (though some are more hopeful than fearful).

I was thinking about this a good bit yesterday and had a conversation with my friend Bill, who lived during this era and is a great thinker to boot. Then, today, I hear Stephen Colbert, being interviewed on NPR (yes I listen to NPR), making some statements correlating this comparison of 1960's hippies to today as... similar but extremely different. Then I saw just a few hours ago his show from yesterday.

I am truly gaining a deeper respect for Stephen Colbert. He plays a character on his show, but he and his writers really do expose some insightful things in their mockeries.

We can be anti-war and be accepted, but we can't be about peace or else we're crazy hippies.

I don't think the hippies were all wrong in what they believed in, but I do think they were wrong. They upheld moral convictions that are important, but also held up other moral convictions that are ridiculous and dangerous. Their extreme drug use did not aid them in their cause for being taken seriously either. The "ridiculous" of hippieosity has painted over any good they brought. But let me also state that the good they brought can be found more fully and credibly in Christianity.

So why aren't we the new hippies? Some of us are living out hippie causes, but for what reason. Are we living in fear like everyone else, or are we living in love? Will we be painted with the brush of hippies, even if we don't share their weaknesses... probably... but can't we continue to distinguish ourselves through our steadfast integrity?

What will be the outcome of a people doing things out of necessity only, without concern for love and peace? Is our HOPE only to survive in the midst of all that can and is going wrong? Or is our HOPE to thrive in love?

I don't know what some of the consequences of our "look like a hippie, act like a hippie, but in no way a hippie" nation will be, but if you have more insight to share, please do. I find this topic extremely interesting and would love to hear more.

A Lifestyle Of Rules

As many of you probably know, I "prefer a vegan diet."  Eating healthy, and avoiding most dairy and meat is a choice that I made when confronted with some truths about the consequences of what you eat.  It has also been reenforced by learning about the effects of mass producing cows, chickens, pigs, etc. in the most cost-effective, as well as morally, dietary, and socially upsetting, manners.

Previous to my "conversion" I ate like a normal American.  Perhaps a bit healthier, with salads and vitamin supplements, but pretty normal.  It was out of a conviction to live a better, healthier life, and a responsibility to friends and family, as well as my God, to take care of what I've been given responsibility over, and conduct myself in a way that promotes quality and quantity of life.  Like I said, it was a conviction, and following through with the choices I made required sacrifice in addition to desire and encouragement.  But there was something new and fresh in my decision.  I despised the poisons offered me, and rejected them at nearly every opportunity, despite the temptation.  I trained my body and my mind to think and expect differently, but it was all fueled by an active desire to do what is right, and help inspire others to do the same.

The funny thing about a change like that is, it soon loses its passion, and turns common place.  It becomes about rules you've set for your mind and body, rather than a desire for "what is best."  I no longer detest the idea of hydrogenated corn syrup or the chlorine in our drinking water.  I do my best to not partake of such things, but there's less conviction to it; it is simply the new norm.

I've also noticed a flexibility to consume the forbidden.  My mental military is like an army who has lost the vision of their purpose, through their uneventful stationing in a foreign land.  The battles that used to be my mind verses my eyes and tastebuds has become my mind, eyes, and tastebuds teaming up against my stomach.  I don't deny myself the sugary foods because I know the harm they will do me (if I deny them at all), I do so because I know my stomach will exact revenge.

So although I eat in a good, similar fashion to when I started, something is certainly different and amiss.

It amazes me how it can be a similar series coming from my spirit and faith.

There are times I will reevaluate my faith and with conviction I will make decisions of what I need to add and what I need to exclude from how I live.  Passion fills me and enables me to carry out these Godly desires with respect for God, myself, and others.  I feel like I've found a Truth that matters and I want to show it to the world through life.

But once again, all too soon I lose sight of why I do what I do.  It becomes for the sake of the deed itself rather than the spirit of righteousness, godliness, and repentance.  When Christianity becomes a passive lifestyle I think that's a dangerous place to be.  I also think it's an easy place to find.  We put a lot of emphasis on how we live (what we do and don't do because of our faith), but none of that means anything if it is not propelled by a spirit of desire for the Kingdom of God.  Without that drive of love for the good, we are but a clanging cymbal.

How do we rejuvenate our apathetic following of our prior convictions?

That's where our relationships come in.  Our relationships as the church and our relationship with Jesus.

Meeting with others who share our faith, who may not be in a place of apathy, but a place of passion, can help spark your spirit.  Inspiration confronting unsatisfaction brings the heart and rational mind face to face, resulting in reflectional hope for more.

Meeting with Jesus, in your prayer time and Bible reading, gives the opportunity to get the same inspiration, reflection, and hope.  I believe in this time you will be stretched too.  New aspirations, taking things to the next level, helps to reinvigorate the spirit to step up to the challenge, realizing the calling.

Realize the calling.  Remember why you live the way you do.  Confront your life with the love, purpose, and intentionality Christ displayed in his life and death.  Fathom the responsibility placed upon you as his disciple.  Listen to his voice.  Bring about the Kingdom by encouraging Truth in every facet of your life.

Rinse and Repeat.

The American Dream

I'm not a historian, not even close, so this blog may ring very wrong in your ears.  But regardless I am writing this, and hoping that there is at least a portion of truth within it.

When the colonists came to the Americas they came because they wanted a place where they could practice freedom and liberty for all men.

When Americans began expanding West, they did so because they wanted to find a life and wealth for their own.

When wealthy land owners began partaking in the African slave trade, they did so as a means to increase production, lower production costs, and thus receive a bigger slice of the American Dream pie they so desperately wanted.

When John is working full-time, and his wife puts their kids in daycare so she can also work a full-time job, it is to bring them closer to the dream of being able to give themselves and their children anything they could ever want.

When Ted Stevens accepts bribes, he does so in pursuit of wanting wealth, power, and freedom that could be associated with a twisted form of the American Dream.

I'm not saying the American Dream is an evil thing, or was wrong in its inception (at least as an idea, not a phrase).  But it becomes increasingly apparent in our country that the American Dream has strayed from a desire for basic human rights and opportunity.  Instead it has been individualized in our minds.  The focus of the American Dream is no longer country or appealing to a higher truth; but, rather, me.  

Our dream is one that looks out for our own immediate self-interest.  We want no law or person hindering what we can do.  It appears we have a thought process that says, "Laws are so other people can't impede on my freedoms."  But that is as far as we want the laws to serve us, their application against us is unfair in our eyes.  Just look at the example of illegal downloading of music.  This is something I point back at myself for.  I wouldn't want anyone stealing from me, but I don't want anyone to hinder my ability to steal from others.  The American Dream, it's all about me.  And we are even destroying our families and relationships, as we try to satisfy and provide what the "American Dream" and Darwin would have us believe is most important.

It also drives us to our division in politics.  Now surely this isn't 100% true, but one can certainly see a trend in what party a person is registered for, based on their income levels or affiliations.

When Sherman Alexie was interviewed on The Colbert Report, he said something that made me think...

Unlike other groups of people in this country, we Indians vote for the good of everybody, and not just for the good of our little group.

-  Sherman Alexie

If you watch the clip you will see he was speaking about why McCain is a better choice for the Native American population, and yet why the Native Americans generally were pushing for Obama.  Now regardless of your or my political views, you can't deny this statement contains a dose of caffein to wake up our minds.  We do vote for ourselves.  Christians vote for the person that seems the most moral (sometimes putting their ability to run the government further back on the list) so they can have the moral character they want to see in office, much of the upper-class vote for the republican candidate, so they can get tax breaks they so desperately want, and many of the low-class citizens vote for the democrats so they can get the handouts they want.

We make our decisions with a form of presupposition.  That is, "whatever helps me or my cause the most, is the best answer."  To find a way to better our country, don't we need to lay those aside?  Shouldn't we do what is right, regardless of whether or not we are the ones who will most benefit or least benefit.  Can we be objective without first denying our self?

Let's stop the American Dream from being focused on what we WANT, and rather, let's keep it at what it started at.  Fair opportunity, liberty, and democracy.  Liberty doesn't ensure you the things that you want.  Opportunity does not afford you the right to break the law to succeed.  And surely democracy was not meant for us to selfishly mandate that our individual desires be satisfied, rather it ignites an obligation for us to educate ourselves and seek true wisdom, ignoring any presuppositions not arrived at in the truth of reason, so that we may look to the good of all before the good of ourselves.

We'll never see the America we're dreaming of unless we forsake this selfish rendition of the American Dream we have so tightly embraced.

This Is How We Vote

Every election year politics capture the attention of the American people, mesmerizing us with its hypnotic chants of civic duty, and instilling the fear of "the other guy" deep within us.  Everyone is affected by this quadrennial holiday of sorts; whether they react with gusto toward their man, concern of who to vote for, or apathy due to the overwhelming information or a disheartened state from deceptive promises and corruption in our political parties.  However we act in response to this time of year, we all are all made aware of what is happening, and thus we make our choices of how to react in accordance with our stance; whether it appears as action or inaction, we are in fact making a decision that involves us in the process.

So,   how  will  you   react?

Does your vote make a difference?  Will either candidate fulfill all your hopes and dreams for this country?  Is Democracy no longer effective, rendered paralyzed in its ideality by a straying from Constitutionality and a bureaucratic roadblock in the way of true choice?  When only the Republican or Democratic picks ever have a chance of becoming President, do we really have the choice we should as Americans?

Does any candidate fully represent you?  Are you voting for a lesser of two evils?  Are you compromising some of what you hold as truth, voting for him that comes closest in the areas that you deem as most important.  Wouldn't it be great if there was a candidate that held all of the right perspectives on what really matters?

Good news!  You can be the President.  Perhaps not of the United States; we'd have to be pretty crazy to elect you, but you can be President of your own life.  After all, isn't the President the one chosen to act out the Constitutional truths of this land, upholding justice through knowledge, wisdom, and perhaps God.

No matter who you are, you can make your vote known everyday.  Not for a politician or other elected official, but for truth.  Make an informed decision on what merits your vote in your heart and in this world.  Every word we speak and action we present casts a ballot.  When the chads of our life are counted, do our votes match our "politics?"

If you are a Christian, this remains true, but takes an entirely new perspective and depth.

9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 

11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 
- 2 Corinthians 5:9-21

If we really know the Lord, we fear Him, in understanding that he holds us accountable to these votes (actions) we take in our lives daily.  And thus we persuade others, for we have been given the truth, and along with that truth the duty of being ambassadors to the Truth.  We testify to the forgiveness of sins and the grace of God for those who believe.  We do this to be Christ's righteousness to the world, and in doing so you would know who we our, in our intentions for truth and love of others, within your conscience

No candidate can take your duty for you.  No man on Earth can act in your stead and alter the judgment set forth for you.  Obama or McCain, if elected, will have a new set of responsibilities pinned to his chest, but none of them will be your responsibilities.

Let's stop pointing fingers.  If America is in moral decay, and if our leaders are corrupt or unwise, let us assess what part we have played in the state of our country, rather than pretending the problem originates in politics.  The problem originates in our individuals and our families forsaking the truth by not living it and not sharing it as they should.  Politicians are puppets that find their power in appealing to the populus.  Any corruption or ill-decisions is a direct result of the heart of the people.  Christ is in the business of changing hearts, and we are called to the business of making Christ known.

Let's purify ourselves.  Let us vote for our officials to the best of our ability, but let us not find our hope in politicians or politics.  Let us find our hope in moral virtues, righteousness, forgiveness, and a God who holds a truth stronger than any man's convictions and any legal document ever penned.  Vote everyday, in everything you do.

How About A Straight Talker Who Can Actually Straight-Up Talk?

I don't know who of you watch SNL, but election year spoofs are certainly the show's bread and butter. And you can't deny that SNL has hit the jackpot with the Sarah Palin/Tina Fey look-alikes. Although obviously exaggerated, Fey certainly has a very spot-on portrayal of the governor, glasses, accent, mannerisms, and all.

The thing that I take note of, is that many times the exaggerations on SNL's part are not as great as one might think. For instance the Katie Couric interview spoof vs. the actual interview are not as dramatically different as one would think and expect. They expose Palin's cutesie talk, which reminds me often of a high school cheerleader discussing politics in their government class, as well as her reiteration of the question as an answer and her reliance on key words like Freedom, Democracy, and Terrorists to give an answer that says very little, even having word-for-word excepts of the actual interview in the sketch. Now this said, once again, SNL adds much to the report that is conjured from nowhere.

Then there was the recent VP Debate and the subsequent spoof. Certainly again, this was a mixture of pulling very true aspects from the debate, and fabricating comedy from nowhere. The winking, user of the word "maverick," denying to address questions asked for those she decided to talk about, her "zingers," and her reliance on appealing through "straight talk" were all very true in the essence of what her side of the debate incorporated. Not so fair or true were their depictions of overly overt religiosity, Israel, and homosexual marriage. Biden's constant declaration of respect for McCain followed by his criticizing of him had some truth but was over exaggerated a bit too much. Making fun of his stance on homosexual unions and his pointing to Scranton as his hometown were very correct in what they exposed. Taking a step back to look at these portrayals, the sketch is much harsher on Palin than Biden; however, at the same time Palin lends herself to mockery more than Biden.

The media's depiction of Palin lines up greatly with their depiction of George W. Bush. Bush has been labeled as unintelligent by media spoofs and clip choice. You cannot help but blame this partially on Bush's ability (or lack of) to speak publicly in a way to conveys intelligence. I do not doubt that Bush is a smart man, and able to do his job, but his pronunciation, word choice, and stumbling over himself during speeches promote a market for "poking fun," which in turns eventually makes people believe the joke is true.

Palin does the same thing, but in a slightly different way. She is folksie in a way that conveys naivete, unprofessionalism, and a sub-par education in foreign policy, economics, and government structure. Perhaps McCain, who is well experienced is smart to pick a candidate who is relatible to the general population in the way she speaks and how she interprets current happenings in the country and world. But from her interviews you can see that her rhetoric doesn't effectively cover he lack of knowledge, and if anything, often exposes it.

I fear Palin does not have a tight enough grasp on vast and varied segments that make up political and governmental current events, as well as historical events. Without being able to put all the pieces together and understand how one action will impose upon all the others in a domino effect, you cannot effectively make intelligent decisions. And also with history, we can see the past is cyclical, and thus without understanding it, we are doomed to repeat it. Palin brings a lot to the table, and would quite possibly make an excellent Vice President. My fear is her ability to make a capable President if the need arises.

Many of the questions I raise about Palin can definitely be asked of Obama. And it is more serious with him, since he is running for President and not Vice President. Strangely enough, the media is not painting Obama with the same brush as Palin. I would attribute this to how Obama carries himself, and not what he is actually made of, in the abilities and knowledge he possesses or does not possess.

You have to feel for Palin. If McCain is elected, I'm sure Bush's mantel will be handed down to Palin, labeling her "idiot," no matter what she does in her carreer to prove or disprove such a title... but at least Tina Fey will have job security.

Papa Government Will Take Care Of Everything

I don't know how many of you watched Bush's Presidential Address given last night, but it's pretty big. I'd recommend taking a look at it below.




I only caught the last few minutes of this address last night, so after it was over I called my grandfather, who is pretty up on this stuff. He definitely gave me some good insight and things to think about.

Here's a basic history of how we got here, as I understand it...

In the past the real estate companies and banks would require a sizable down payment when someone was buying a house, condo, mansion, shack in the woods, etc. Typically they had to put down around 20-25% of the total cost to buy. So if you're buying a $100,000 house, you would be required to give a down payment of $20-25 thousand, and the bank would loan you the rest.

Now what that did was allow the bank/lender to come out on top whether you could pay or not. If you are able to make all of your payments, then they are paid back all their money plus the interest included in the loan. If you are not able to pay and go into default, they can seize your house and sell it for its value. In that case they will have whatever money you have already paid them, and the value of your house, which as a general rule would increase in worth (appreciate in value) as time and inflation went on.

Things were going so well that companies got a little ahead of themselves. Reel estate was going well and people were buying houses, credit was becoming more and more popular, so they increased the credit you can get on a house. Where you used to give about 20% upfront, now they would give you a 100% loan... but wait, more. They wouldn't just give you 100% of what you needed for your house, but they'd give a 125% loan, which the purchaser could use to buy furniture, peanut butter, kittens, and whatnot. And this is the real problem.

With the banks and lenders giving so much money, like the white trash hick that gets approved for his first credit card, people felt like they had free money. They didn't even need to have anything saved up to buy a house. When a bank gives a crazy good loan like that, you can expect some crazy hard interest. Plus you have all these people who aren't financially intelligent celebrating in their free money and not looking down the road. After the first 6 months their loan payments tended to get much higher, to the point where often times people could not afford them. They would default on their payments and their house would be seized.

When the lenders seized the house, they would need to get 125% of the initial worth of it (or something around there depending) in order to break even. And that would be possible under the normal way of real estate, where it increases in value over time. But due to so many people buying houses, the supply went way up... lots of houses being built. But people who were initially excited started to not have the finances to afford them, or realize they wouldn't be able to make the payments. With a high supply and a small demand, the value goes down. Houses started losing value or staying the same with time, instead of gaining value. All of this left banks and lenders in a tough place where they couldn't get their money back because of the housing market.

This is a big reason you have heard recently about banks shutting down and all this stuff about real estate lenders. And when the banks don't have money, credit doesn't work. Credit depends on your bank/lender being able to pay your bill until you can pay them back, when the bank can't pay the bill, you can't have credit. If you can't have credit, people will stop buying things; if people don't buy things, others will lose jobs; if people lose their jobs they can buy even less; if no body is buying much of anything or working then we're in a bad bad place.

What the government has done, is decide to put $700 Billion into buying these properties that are mortgaged, but nobody is buying, so the bank can make back their money. If they didn't do this, the real estate market would crash, builders wouldn't build, electricians wouldn't install electric in houses, plumbers would plumb, realtors wouldn't sell houses, and millions of people would be out of work, which would cause basically the same chain reaction seen above.

The businesses that decided to up the credit so high are at fault here. It isn't the governments responsibility to act, as the president said, in a free-enterprise economy. But it's either give up some of what we believe in or face The Great Depression again. So the government is purchasing these mortgages, and in a sense acting as the lender, the one responsible for the financial essence of the property. They are hoping that as the economy picks up, and the housing market picks up, they will be able to get paid back (same as anyone who gives a loan) as the properties are sold, and will be able to get more return as the properties will be worth more than what they are buying them for. There's a good chance it'll work, but not 100%.

The government is taking some serious looks at socialistic control tactics to keep businesses from causing such a threat to American economics. The fact that the decisions of so few companies could impact the entire country in such a dire way blows my mind. It's also why I personally am not a fan of big business in most cases. The government is also going to potentially limit executive income in these businesses, to try to eliminate "bad" business decisions that will put the company in jeopardy, but reward the executives running it. Even in the situation we're in now, the executives could make a lot of money at the expense of others, by receiving/buying more stock once it goes down, and sitting on it until it goes up again, or a type of corporate bail-out getting paid tons in the collapse of the business.

So what is better... the integrity of the democratic system... or compromising ideals instead of compromising the American standard of living?

I am somewhat torn. I do not pledge my allegiance to the democratic system. I think it's worked fine, but that it will at some point fail or be replaced with something better. It's inherent greed will be our destruction (as it is about to destroy us already). The government is building safe-guards against such free-enterprise greed by stripping away some of our democracy. It seems all systems fail at a certain point, and new ones will emerge as we learn. Everyone is afraid of communism, mostly because they don't quite understand it... but here we have our own political officials, under a republican president, taking a big step toward communism, as our only foreseeable way of solving our crisis. It's just interesting.

See, this is why I don't have a credit card!


So some questions for discussion...

- Which is more important, the integrity of our government structure or the integrity of our financial means?

- What would you do if things aren't resolved in the next few days and everything crashes.

- Is this the beginning of more mixing of democracy with other systems? If so, how long will we continue to call it democracy? If not, how will democracy deal these emerging issues?

I'm Too Sexy For... My God?

I know the picture is an oldie, but it certainly is a goodie. I do have to say that I think my Photoshop ability has gotten slightly better since this "try." And let's face it, if anyone's too sexy for God, it's Fabio (which is the owner of the hair... the face and body are mine!).

Appearance is something I have been greatly considering in regard to my walk with God over the last year or two. What would God have me to look like? Does God mind if I artificially enhance my appearance? Does he mind if I naturally enhance my appearance? Are there definite lines between taking care of yourself and overdoing it? How would God make himself appear if he were me?

This may seem like a topic of unimportance, at least compared to other topics... and maybe to an extent it is, but I can't help but feel that the way we are concerned about our appearance reflects a deeper issues (and perhaps perpetuates issues too).

The world creates standards and then demands we live up to them. Body type, hair cut, makeup, fashion, you can't wear white after Labor Day, that's tacky, does this make me look fat?, Accutane, bikini's, saggin', tanning, bling, muscles, tight stomachs, just the right amount of facial hair, conditioner, gel, highlights, shave, wax, pierce, tattoo, chemical peel, botox, give up!

This list does one of two things for probably 95% of anyone who will read this. It will either convict you, making you realize how many of these you fall trap to... or it will send you into a place of self denial and convinced righteousness. There are a few of you who are right on track and don't have a problem with this... however you, I see you out there, just staring at the screen like a bear staring at a chimmy changa, yes you... that line didn't refer to you, so get off your high horse and keep reading.

Are all the things on the list sinful? Not necessarily. Are some? I'd have to say most of the time a couple of them have few circumstances where they would be justifiable! Like let me ask, when is the appropriate time to wear a bikini? Especially at a public place or in front of guys(it's never appropriate if you're a guy Deut. 22:5)? Maybe if you're married and trying to get romantic with your stud-muffin, or catching some rays in private, but beyond that I see very few places where it's justified. If you think I'm being ridiculous, think about what Jesus would say about that.

The truth is, the things on the list are pride-enhancers. I know many of my posts here turn into an issue of the pride. Pride caused Satan to rebel. Pride comes before the fall. I'm just trying to save you from a nasty trip. Why must I check out my hair everytime I pass a reflection? Seriously, why can't I wear white after labor day (cause I just bought a sweet pair of white overalls)? How does bling bring about the kingdom of heaven? You know we have been brainwashed when we're injecting poison into our face to get rid of wrinkles.

It's the pride of wanting to be IT. To be the one that no one can criticize, that everyone wants to be. We want to be desirable, to be the the prince getting the fair princess, or the beautiful princess recued by the handsome prince. We are bombarded with fairy tales in everything from nursery rhymes to tabloids. Fiction. Standards we are supposed to strive for, so we can live the fairy tale life of Sleeping Beauty, Brad Pitt, Hercules, or J-Lo.

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

- 1 Timothy 2:9-10

I was originally going to write a slightly different post and name it "Cleavage For Christ," and talk about how people often tend to dress like they're trying to pick up a mate, rather than humble themselves before the Ulmighty God. If you are professing to worship God in church, think about if what you are wearing shows worship of God or worship of self (I'm guilty). Then take it a step further and realize church is not a building or a designated time during the week. Understand you are constantly before God, and you are constantly a witness, an ambassador to His name.

Again...

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.

- 1 Peter 3:3-5

We are all going to experience the temptation of pride, and trying to prove oneself in ways other than a heart for God, a gentle spirit. There's an almost Darwinistic summoning of desire, living out the survival of the fittest in sociological trends. We must compete in this game of fashion, stature, and fame, or we will be consumed by it. At least that's the threat presented.

But to put some flesh on the subject I will... subject myself to the magnifying glass of critique. I am not outwardly a guy of overwhelming self-confidence. But inwardly I have a desire to be the stuff. I desire the achievement of attractiveness so great, that all those women who have rejected me in the past will whimper in sorrow over the hunk of man they passed on. Things like this are what sometimes motivate me when I'm working out. Sad isn't it? Yes, very. And even if it's not that, there is always an underlying desire to work out, or shave my facial hair in a cool way, or wear a name brand shirt tonight, so I can be attractive to a girl, and win her over with my looks, or just be impressive to onlookers. I aim to be competitive enough to beat out all the other guys in the room in the never-ending competition of "Most sexy guy here." Don't get me wrong, I don't usually think this stuff out in my head like I'm presenting it here; but, I am aware that these are the underlying motives in my mind. Plus the winner often gets "Most sexy girl here" as his prize.

Now I'm faced with an issue. How do I become a man who is not so overly conceited and self-absorbed with the dream of winning the Mr. Sexy pageant in every room I step into (despite that I probably wouldn't win anyway). Do I search out what causes the problem of feeling like the stuff? I know that geling my hair can do that a little. Working out can. Wearing tighter shirts can. And so on and so on. If I love Christ and want to humble myself before him. If I love my fellow brothers and sisters and don't want to be a stumbling block for them, whether it causes lust, superficiality, or a Darwinian sense of competition, and worth based on attractiveness or other superficial things.

I'm still working much of this out in my mind and heart. I do know that those who came before us, even 50-100 years ago, would consider even our more modest attire (especially for women) to be scandelous. We need to look beyond what is socially accepted and think pragmatically, what is harmful and beneficial. I am feeling like I need to start dressing differently. Not like a slob, but maybe in a way that doesn't allow me to so easily "show off." Perhaps girls should start shopping differently. Buying a size larger in their clothes. Perhaps they should make a market for sales of women's shorts that cover more than the upper half of their butt cheeks. Instead of wearing a push up bra to pretend they have something they don't, wear a shirt that keeps a guy guessing anyway. Guys can pass on the bling and support a starving child in China. Girls can ease up on the makeup, and hypnotize a guy with your gentle hearts, instead of your customized facial accents (does that one even make sense?). Instead of being thugs, guys, why don't you show you're really a middle class white kid who cares about the people around him, and not a hardened gangsta' from the hood.

Bottom line, we need to start this by changing our appearance, and not judging others based on theirs.

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

- James 2:2-4

There's much more to say, but I feel like this is long, and I'm tired. Like I said I'm still working through this one, but certainly feel like we are off track, misguided, and dillusional as Christians in the area of modesty.

This is a good topic to discuss through comments, please do.

The Facebookidek Priesthood

I don't know if any of you have heard anything about this yet... but supposedly the Mormons are putting in a bid to buy Facebook. With some 30 billion dollars in the bank, it looks like they can afford it too.

So what changes can we expect in Facebook if this really does happen. First of all, in the religion category you will only have two options... Mormon or Future Mormon. All picture containing drinking of alcohol will have a computer-generated Coca-Cola logo superimposed on the bottle/can/keg (advertising... how else do you think they get all that money?). The New Feed will stream any newly acquired information about your ancestry. There will be slots to include more than one wife/girlfriend in your relationship status. Once you sign up you will automatically be added to the "You Know You're Mormon If..." Facebook group. There will be a newly added "Knock-knock" option. Here Mormon missionaries can solicit your Facebook as well. The only thing is, there is no ignore option for this feature. And obviously, this will be the default picture on anyone's account who hasn't upload their own pic.

What about the name Facebook? Will that change? "Facebook of Latter Day Saints." The "Face book of Mormon." Maybe, "Face It Joseph Smith Was A Prophet Book." Or perhaps, "That Social Networking Site That Used To Be Awesome."

My long time readers will know that I've spent some time with the Mormons, getting to know them and their beliefs. I like them. This was some joking, I didn't really mean to be too disrespectful; however, with $30 Billion, why not do something good, instead of just building churches and sending people to my door. It would take an estimated $60 Billion to cut world hunger in half... as I see it, the Mormons should have us half way there.

I know they send young missionaries all over the world, to both wealthy and impoverished countries, but why does it always seem that growing religious groups are so concerned with PR in the ways that don't matter, like Facebook. Get good PR with the sick and dying rather than the teenage computer user. Maybe I'll call the new set of Mormon missionaries in my area so I can throw some hard questions at them, and give them a little perspective.

I got this news from 9to5mac.com of all places.

Resentment

I'm noticing that I am a person full of resentment. When things don't go my way I get frustrated, angry, and feel sorry for myself. The funny thing is that 99% of the time it's things I can't change that do this to me. I suppose it's because I'm the kind of guy who changes what I can to make things the way I think they ought to be. But some things are just out of my hands. You can't really change other people too much, you can't change a lot of your physical attributes, and you certainly can't change the past.

Being resentful towards people, who aren't acting as I want them to, just isn't fair. It's selfish and makes me feel like I'm a toddler vying for the toy the other kid has, and crying a miserable sob when my attempts end in knowing failure. It's one thing when what I want is the other person's best interest... it's another when it's first and foremost my best interest. Although my will is typically the center of my universe, it is all too often not at the top of other people's priority list. But I will get very angry sometimes when they aren't using my eyes to see the world. Strangely enough, God doesn't use my eyes to see the world very often either, nor does He consider many of my suggestions for "what is best."

It's also not right or fair for me to resent myself, my parents, my genes, or my God for making me the way I am. Given the luxury of vision, we pay the price of unrelenting comparisons. Physique, eyes, hair, teeth, nose, chin, skin pigment, skin clarity, height, weight, etc. etc. etc. Every time I open my eyes in public, in front of a TV, or a magazine, or even a church bulletin often times, I am confronted with a person, a body party, a style, a class of attractiveness, or just a level of individual "success" that begs me to judge myself by its standard. It usually ends one of two ways; criticism of them or criticism of myself, and the self-loathing, self-pitying depression that can follow either.

This system will motivate some to better themselves, but even the best reactions to this embedded way of life are unhealthy and destructive at the core. I need to be me. The best me I can be, which is the me God created me to be. I need to take a step back and realize that being the best me isn't for me at all, it's for He. He is the one who should receive the glory for whom I was created to be. His design was not implemented for me to be a towering example of human stature and health, that others may marvel at my impressiveness. I was made for humility, that exaltation might belong to Him who deserves it, and can handle it. When I get caught up comparing and seeing what I lack, I neglect what I've been given and the purpose for which I've been given it.

But whether a beautiful model, or an easy-going hippie, we all have a tendency to regret things in our past. To get so distracted, so entangled, so troubled that we made that mistake or entered into that relationship. We tried that, and haven't been able to stop ever since. Or we wasted our life for so long. We can resent history, and unable to forgive ourselves, we create a bleak outlook for our future. Void of hope, we cave under the weight of our perceived failures, which only perpetuates them all the more. "If Only" is our daily recited mantra. We quietly remind ourselves of it in our mind, "If only... everything could be different... I could be different... they might not have had to..."

Once again we sing the tune of the desire for our own glory. With a God who is sovereign; who ordains all good and bad things that come to pass, how can you live a life resenting your past? Surely throw off the guilt and shame from past sins, but embrace the good that can or has come from it. The growth in understanding, being able to relate with the broken-hearted, an appreciation for grace, peace, forgiveness, and love, or just the passion for life. We surely have a God who works the bad for good according to His will. If God has allowed the actions I took to pass, then that means he planned it and has a purpose for it. We no longer need to be bogged down by those things, but we need to embrace grace shown by God, and continue in His way.

If God is truly sovereign and in control, there is no longer any reason to resent that which you can't change, who you were designed to be, or the things that have already happened and are now behind you. Simply rest. Rest assured that He is God and He is sovereign.

Da DA Is Back

For anyone interested I re-resurrected my Steve's Daily Account postings. Newer blogspot posts can be found here. Old-fashioned posts can be found here.

The DA is basically for a more personal look into the life of Steve. Don't peer too close or too long, it has been known to cause tumors.

The Mayer of Tech Support

Although I am saddened by our culture's (and often even my own) obsession with the celebritae ("celebrity" said like you're cool) world, I do enjoy seeing these walking idols living as if they were just like you and me... well you anyway.

I am an Apple fan, so I visit their rumor sites quite frequently. I found this video very funny because it reminds me of a much taller, sexier, more talented version of myself doing what I am ALWAYS doing. That's right, giving step-by-step computer instructions over the phone.

Let's see how John Mayer does.

Are You A Risk Taker?

::Note, this is mainly for dudes, but girls will probably find a way of relating it to themselves too::

I have been pondering risk. It came up in a conversation the other day, and then I read an article refuting many ideas in the book Wild at Heart, along those lines.

In a world surrounded by extreme sports, heroic movies, and Nike's "Just Do It" campaign, we feel a need to exercise a life of taking risks. This is especially true of men. As we are weighing it out, we are overcome with the responsibility as MAN to risk our life, limbs, and character to secure our status as "manly."
It is our ability to take risks that determine our strength, valor, and value to ourselves, to others and to our God(?). Risks prove to ourselves that we can do it. Mind over matter. I AM CONQUEROR! THIS IS SPARTA!!! So in short... it's pride. It's me in my ability overcoming fear and doing whatever I set my mind to.

In relation to others, we may now combine our pride with competition and acceptance. Men are always sizing each other up. Sometimes literally, others more abstractly. When I enter a room I always take stock of height in that room and where I rank. This is probably more common being a short guy. We do this in other areas of life too. Who can take the biggest risk and still land on his feet? It's a competition. I think competition might be the most widely used drug in America. It is everywhere; sports, business, church, family... we want to be the best, more impressive than the next guy... but often in the wrong way. And when you land that "jump" of life on your feet everyone will admire you and/or be jealous of you... the thing every guy desires.

Being the best Christian is a game we often play before God. We take the biggest risks in "faith" knowing that if we do it we are going to score some major brownie points with God, and once again the other people in our church will be either admiring or jealous of us, SLAM DUNK! This is a delusion. God is not a risk. He is the anti-risk. He is the safety net. From my standpoint, it seems very hard to not equate faith with risk. Faith is hope in things unseen, it seems to have a risk right there, because I don't know, I can't see what's there. If we believe in the word though, we know there is no risk. Still without faith this is hard to swallow. We see many men and women have been killed for their faith, or have encountered extreme hardship despite or because of their faith. That looks like a risk to me.

If you are a Christian you risk the possibility of hard things like these. NO! These things are guaranteed! Not risk, guarantee.

The real underlying question here is who/what do you fear? A risk is determined by fear. Am I afraid of not being good enough on my own, am I afraid of what people will think of me, am I afraid of regret in life?

28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny^[a]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

34"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -
36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'^[b]

37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

- Matthew 10:28-39

The Bible clearly says repeatedly that we are to fear the Lord. As we fear the Lord, He proves that all else is not worthy to be feared, because he has authority over all. We all should fear for our souls. Living a life apart from complete faith in God introduces a risk far surpassing anything we can incur in our current state.

We must not consider our faith a risk or an opportunity to show our own greatness. Rather it is a time for humility, to revel in God's faithfulness and authority in keeping to His promises. We have enough witnesses to know not to doubt, for God is not a risk taker. So let's grow in patience that is often very lacking in our "risk-taking" lives. Let's know we are avoiding the largest risk by keeping small and true under Christ's vast righteousness.

I was largely inspired to write this after reading a passage out of the book of Sirach. I'm going to end with that chapter.

1 My son, if you come forward to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for temptation.
2 Set your heart right and be steadfast, and do not be hasty in time of calamity.
3 Cleave to him and do not depart, that you may be honored at the end of your life.
4 Accept whatever is brought upon you, and in changes that humble you be patient.
5 For gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.
6 Trust in him, and he will help you; make your ways straight, and hope in him.
7 You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; and turn not aside, lest you fall.
8 You who fear the Lord, trust in him, and your reward will not fail;
9 you who fear the Lord, hope for good things, for everlasting joy and mercy.
10 Consider the ancient generations and see: who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame? Or who ever persevered in the fear of the Lord and was forsaken? Or who ever called upon him and was overlooked?
11 For the Lord is compassionate and merciful; he forgives sins and saves in time of affliction. 12 Woe to timid hearts and to slack hands, and to the sinner who walks along two ways!
13 Woe to the faint heart, for it has no trust! Therefore it will not be sheltered.
14 Woe to you who have lost your endurance! What will you do when the Lord punishes you?
15 Those who fear the Lord will not disobey his words, and those who love him will keep his ways. 16 Those who fear the Lord will seek his approval, and those who love him will be filled with the law. 17 Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and will humble themselves before him.
18 Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, but not into the hands of men; for as his majesty is, so also is his mercy.

Finding God From The Needy

I realized today that I have blogs linked on my blog that I have not visited for quite some time. Upon noticing this I clicked on the Jenlemen blog link. I browsed through some titles and skimmed some writings. Although I had forgotten much about the blog, but remembered her poetic writing.

I chose to read an entry about her time in Rwanda. It kind of relates to my last blog, but is also different.

I recommend reading it now. It's very neat.

We think God is something we need to trick people into believing. Our statements must be intelligent and without flaw before they will respect Him. Our music must be professional and moving for them to open up to Him. And our Jesus must be relatable and offering good solutions for them to partake of Him.

We forget it's God genuinely flowing through us, and his Spirit touching the heart that will bring respect, openness, and repentance. It's simple. And we are too often a distraction, complicating God's simple message delivered by His Spirit. When there is nothing but love for God and each other, I think the message comes through much easier than when there are microphones, amplifiers, lights, staging, pride, selfishness, and appearance to worry about. Instead let the little children come and let the love flow.



Girls Singing in Church in Umutara, Rwanda from jen lemen on Vimeo.

The World Is Hungry

I started reading a book today called Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger.

I was told I would really like the book and have trouble putting it down. Although I'm not even into the meat of the book, I know it's true.

I'm really just going to pull some quotes from the book that I felt conveyed ideas of importance.

"The Alarins are a poor Filipino family. Mr. Alarin makes 70 cents on good days as an ice vendor. Several nights a month Mrs. Alarin stays up all night to make coconut sweet that she sells on the street. Total income for her midnight toil is 40 cents. Cooking utensils are their only furniture. The family had not tasted meat for a month when the president of World Vision visited them and wrote this account:

'Tears washed her dark, sunken eye-sockets as she spoke: "I feel so sad when my children cry at night because they have no food. I know my life will never change. What can I do to solve my problems? I am so worried about the future of my children. I want them to go to school, but how can we afford it? I am sick most of the time, but I can't go to the doctor because each visit costs two pesos [28 cents] and the medicine is extra. What can I do?' She broke down into quiet sobbing. I admit without shame that I wept with her."

"A former president of World Vission visited the home of Sebastian and Maria Nascimento, a poor Brazilian couple whose home was a one-room, thatched lean-to with a sand floor. Inside, one stool, a charcoal hibachi, and four cots covered with sacks partly filled with straw were the only furniture. He wrote this heartrending account about his visit:

'My emotions could scarecly take in what I saw and heard. The three-year-old twins, lying naked and unmoving on a small cot, were in the last act of their personal drama. Mercifully, the curtain was coming down on their brief appearance. Malnutrition was the villain. The two-year-old played a silent role, his brain already vegetating from marasmus, a severe form of malnutrition.
The father is without work. Both he and Maria are anguished over their existence, but they are too proud to beg. He tries to shine shoes. Maria cannot talk about their condition. She tries, but the words just will not come. Her mother's love is deep and tender, and the daily deterioration of her children is more than she can bear. Tears must be the vocabulary of the anguished soul.'"

"Before he got AIDS a hardworking father sold milk from his goats to provide for his wife and family. When he fell ill, he used the children's school fee money to pay for traditional medicine. Finally, he sold two goats so he could visit a clinic--only to discover that it was AIDS that was devastating not only him, but his wife and their toddler. His wife sold another goat to pay for his funeral. All the goats were gone by the time the wife died.
Two daughters, nine and ten, were left to take care of their dying brother. When they visited their grandmother, she told them they must take care of themselves, becauseh she was already caring for five grandchildren orphaned by AIDS. All she could give them was a cardboard box--a coffin to bury their dying brother."

"The most potentially explosive force in the world today is the frustrated desire of poor people to attain a decent standard of living... The Commission believes that promoting economic development in general, and overcoming hunger in particular, are tasks far more critical to U.S. national security than most policy makers acknowledge or even believe. Since the advent of nuclear weapons, most Americans have been conditioned to equate national security with the strength of strategic military forces. The Commissin considers this prevailing belief to be a simplistic illusion."

- The U.S. Presidential Commission on World Hunger

"What will Christians do in this time of swelling affluence and persistent poverty? Will we dare to remember that the God we worship tells us that 'whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord' (Prov. 19:17)? Will Christians have the courage to seek justice for the poor, even if that means disapproval by affluent neighbors?"

...

"In an age of affluence and poverty, most Christians, regardless of theological labels, are tempted to succumb to the heresy of following society's materialistic values rather than biblical truth. Advertisements offer demonically convincing justifications for enjoying our affluence while neglecting billions of poor neighbors."

These are issues I've felt convicted about lately. I've done much less about it in my own life than I have done speaking about it. I think this book will continue to paint a picture of what it looks like to practically follow Jesus in response to the poor in this world, as well as give the motivation to change accordingly.

What are your feelings?

Saving Your Bracelet

This past week I attended Heatwave, Youth For Christ's summer beach trip for the NE part of the country. I have been there many times before, but more times as "video guy" than a Campus Life leader for students. This year I was both. I felt extreme responsibility to be 100% dedicated to both duties, but it was extremely hard to balance the busyness with remaining spiritually open to God's voice. But despite all that I was doing I formed relationships and witnessed other friendships develop. I sat with the everyone else on the porch during our group meetings and listened to students pour out about their lives; who they are (good and bad), what God is showing them, and the witness that has come from friends on the trip.

Last night as I prepared for my Campus Life meeting, I was feeling restless about the topic I chose. I thought, "I need to bring an important element from Heatwave to our meeting tonight," especially since none of the students that night had gone to Heatwave. As I cleaned out my car I found my bracelet from Heatwave. It's a dear thing to the kids, and I know many are still wearing it even after the trip. Why? To remember. What would students say if you asked them what the bracelet helps them to remember? I can almost garantee two answers would soar above them all. 1. What God showed me this weekend. 2. The friendships I made and the closeness I felt in them.

All of this was stirring around and I felt like it was on the tip of my tongue, how it all fits together. I finally got to the point where I was down on my knees praying for direction. Within seconds it came to me. Confession.

I had even been talking about confession the night before, in regard to trips like Heatwave and even life, with my friend Kelly. For some reason I never considered to speak about it though. Confession is what separates Heatwave and trips like it from other camps and whatnot. Many students feel safety and trust and expose their soul for all to see. They stop pretending they are someone they aren't, and desperately want to be free to be, coming clean before God and everyone else.

"The one who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy."

- Proverbs 28:13

It comes so natural with our sin to hide. The shame and the fear cloud any reason we might see of how to remedy the situation. We pretend like the cancer doesn't exist, but it continues to eat away at us inside.

1 Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Selah

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD "—
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
Selah

- Psalm 32:1-5

Even the first sin in the Garden of Eden was immediately followed by hiding from God (Genesis 3:8-10). God questions Adam, "Where are you?"

Where... Are... You?

Isn't that the question our spirit cries sometimes? WHERE AM I? We have become so out of touch with who we are by pretending. We notice our actions as if we were an outsider and wonder who that person is, because we know it's not us. But at the same time we are so afraid of addressing our sin. We are so afraid of what those around us would think if they knew what we've done, what we quietly think in our minds, and how distressed our spirit is. Maybe we're even afraid that they won't even care when we express this.

Yesterday I visited a site called PostSecret.com. Here, people anonymously send in post cards with their secrets. It's a form of confession, of saying things they are too afraid to really share with anyone. Here is one that struck me.

"I have a secret inside me. It hurts like hell, and I want to let it out, but I don't know what it is."

I feel like that's me. I feel like its all of us, with our unconfessed sin. Sins we have grown so accustomed to, that we have tucked away out of sight for so long, that we forgot they were even there. But they are still wasting away our bones, and we feel them all the time. We are unfulfilled in our fear, shame, and ignoring of them. We need to let them out! But first we need to know them.

Speaking with a friend recently, she told me how horrible things had been coming out of her. This woman who seems like the perfect Christian is saying how much sin was pouring out of her over a few day period. The neat part is that she journals and was looking over her journal from a couple days prior, where she prayed that God would search her heart and show her what was in it. There was sin hurting her inside that she was unaware of, and from her asking, God revealed it so she would then deal with it. Seeking out your "secret," asking God expose it, and listening to His response are steps in discovering what's in you. Most of the time it'll be hidden (because you're great at hiding things) so it won't be evident, other times you'll be very aware of it.

Once the secrets are known, we need to confess them to God and to each other. When you ponder those actions, the first seems more easy to swallow than the second, but they can't be apart.

Because God doesn't gossip, blog, or usually speak audibly to the people we know, we think He doesn't pose a threat to our little charade. But this is not taking into consideration the heart of confession. The heart of confession is acknowledging before God and man that I am broken, that I am sinful, and that I need God's forgiveness for what I've done, and his Spirit to make me righteous. It is embracing my acknowledgment that I am not perfect, and that I cannot pretend I am. If that is what my confession is, confessing to man will only help me to establish more tangibly that I am not IT. It's a testimony that all have fallen short (especially me), and it is only by God's grace that any can be deemed righteous. Confession is absolutely necessary for repentance and salvation.

"People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: 'You brod of vipers! Who warned yu to flee the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say t yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children fr Abraham. The ax is already at the root f the trees, and every tree that does not produce god fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.'

'I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come ne wh is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.'"

You need to be real. Otherwise you are a brood of vipers. When we don't confess to each other, the sincere followers will be overwhelmed and downcast. It creates a religion of needing to be infallible, and if you mess up, you must not be as good as them, rather than of faith of mercy, forgiveness, and perseverance.

Lastly, we need to confess before each other because we need each other's help.

"So confess your sins to one anther and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness."

- James 5:16

How can we be there for one another when we don't know who our friends really are or what struggles they are going through. Often times prayer requests at church consist of the superficial problems that we aren't embarrassed to admit. How does that do any good in helping the deep hardships, questions, situations, and sins that are eating us away inside. We need to pray with one another. It is effective and it's the action we can always perform to help those we love.

I spoke this message last night at Campus Life. Coincidentally Matthew Paul Turner's blog has a very related post today.

If we are to be a church, we must bring no condemnation toward people. We need to love by doing what will bring the best for them, and allow them to be free and real. If we, being confident in Christ, openly confess our shortcomings, our wrongs, our sin, and God's forgiveness, how much more open will everyone else be to admit their sin without feeling judged and believe God can forgive them as He has forgiven you.

Let's make confession a regular occurrence in our churches, youth groups, Campus Life groups, small groups, friendships, families, etc, etc ,etc. When we do I think people will come in flocks for the opportunity to finally be real, set free from the shame and fear of sin and judgment. Let your life be a living reminder of the real Church, be a living bracelet for all to see.